The small boats are transported on trailers pulled on public roads by vehicles. These vehicles include family sedans, sports utility vehicles of various sizes, pickups of various sizes and motor homes. In areas where a vehicle can pull two trailers, a boat trailer can be pulled behind a trailer house or camper trailer.
Access to rivers and lakes, for small boats, is provided by boat launching ramps. These ramps are usually an inclined concrete slab that extends down into the water. Similar boat launching ramps are also available for launching boats in the ocean.
A boat is launched from a trailer on a launch ramp by moving the trailer down the ramp backwards until the trailer is partially submerged and the boat floats in the water. The trailer axle or axles are submerged and the tires and wheels are at least partially submerged. The rear tires and wheels of a vehicle attached to a boat trailer can be starting into the water by the time the trailer is in the water a sufficient distance to float a boat carried by the trailer. Many boat owners are hesitant to back their vehicles down an inclined ramp until a boat on their trailer floats. A motor home that is pulling a boat trailer may have a rear portion of the vehicle in the water by the time a boat on the trailer will float.
Boat trailers are moved into water nearly the same distance to retrieve a boat as they are moved into the water to launch a boat. A vehicle on an inclined ramp may accidentally move down a boat launch ramp further than intended. Vehicles that move too far down an inclined ramp may have wet brakes. Water can also enter gear cases. Water in gear cases such as axle housings must be removed to prevent damage to the vehicle.
Some boat owners pull their boat on a trailer pulled by a motor home as stated above. After the boat is in the water, the motor home is parked in a suitable area and leveled by jacks so that the floor is horizontal and the vehicle does not rock on its suspension system. Leveling will take a little time. Once the motor home is level, the motor home is not available to take the boat out of the water, or for transportation.